Second Test bulletin: Day two

Date released: 26 January 2012

Alastair Cook top scored for England on day two against Pakistan

Late wickets for Pakistan kept the second Test in the balance after half-centuries from Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott had threatened to put England on top.

Eoin Morgan in the final over of the day, as England closed on 207-5, still 50 runs behind, and having lost four wickets to spin in the final session.

Opener Cook earlier made a typically patient 94 and with 74 from Trott the pair put on 139 for the second wicket.

The century partnership – their sixth in Tests – had briefly looked like taking England into a commanding position but the new batsmen found the Pakistan spinners a handful in the final session.

At the close of another absorbing day of Test cricket those dismissals appeared to hand Pakistan the initiative, and England will be conscious of batting last on a track taking increasing amounts of spin.

England had earlier finished off the Pakistan tail in convincing fashion, taking the remaining three wickets for just one run in the morning session.

Stuart Broad trapped Misbah LBW in the second over to finish with impressive figures of 4-47.

James Anderson took his first two wickets of the match in the next over, knocking over Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan for ducks.

England captain Andrew Strauss again failed to make a big score, falling to Mohammad Hafeez for just 11.

Cook and Trott began nervously but their trademark patience and left-right hand combination at the crease allowed them to pick off the rare bad balls sent down by Pakistan and reach Lunch on 48-1.

There was more momentum after the interval though, as the pair began to pick off boundaries, with Cook in particular feasting on anything slightly short from Ajaml.

Abdur Rehman got the breakthrough when he bowled a hesitant Trott with a delivery which turned past his outside edge and hit the off stump.

Cook was then trapped LBW by an Ajaml googly which he chose not to refer, and Pietersen was the off-spinner’s next victim, caught by Hafeez at short leg.

Bell and Morgan played and missed frequently as the spinners created a vice-like grip on proceedings late on, before the pressure forced Morgan to edge Ajmal to slip, providing a dramatic finish to the day.